Thomas Jefferson wrote: "I have examined all the known superstitions of the world, and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth."
(letter to William Short)
James Madison wrote: Religion and government will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together.
Thomas Paine wrote: I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of...Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all."
From:
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
"In God We Trust" wasn't the motto of the USA until 1956, during the Red Scare.
In fact, in 1757, The Treaty of Tripoli, passed by the U.S. Senate in 1797, read in part: "The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion." The treaty was written during the Washington administration, and sent to the Senate during the Adams administration. It was read aloud to the Senate, and each Senator received a printed copy. This was the 339th time that a recorded vote was required by the Senate, but only the third time a vote was unanimous (the next time was to honor George Washington). There is no record of any debate or dissension on the treaty. It was reprinted in full in three newspapers - two in Philadelphia, one in New York City. There is no record of public outcry or complaint in subsequent editions of the papers.
Basically, one of the freedoms I take most dear is the freedom to disagree with people I highly respect; and still highly respect them.
EDIT:
Please don't take this to mean i'm anti-religion. I'm not; I'm just anti-mixing-religion-with-government. BTW, I loved the post, just disagreeing with one point.
